Puppy Love
by R'ddle
Summary: Even if it's not for forever. Even if some don't consider it 'real'. Even if it's just a puppy love... That love is still a 'love'.


**DISCLAIMER** **:** _The Bleach Universe and its characters belong to their rightful owner._

 **A/N:** _I was going to tell you how this thing came up, but... I'm feeling lazy to write a decent author's note at this time. :3 Hey, you're here to read the story, not my randomness, so excuse me and my laziness, please. :P_

 _It's another AU, 'hope you're used to it by now, since 99% of what I write are AU's._

 _Have a nice time reading!_

* * *

 **puppy love**

 _: transitory love or affection felt by a child or adolescent_

(Merriam-Webster)

.

.

* * *

 _She doesn't get it..._

* * *

She honestly doesn't understand why the other kids are afraid of him. She doesn't know why they think he is scary.

After all, he is just a kid like them; a kid who is much shorter than those of his age.

She doesn't really get it why no one wants to talk and play with him.

Kazu said it was because of his hair and his eyes. Because his hair is the same as of those 'bad guys' in the streets who are called 'gangsters'. And maybe that Hitsugaya kid is a part of gangsters, and if they play with him he is going to use that swinging ring against them while he stares with his weird-colored eyes, and then take control of their minds; they call that thing 'hitnopism.' And then, Hitsugaya is going to sell them to other gangsters and the gangsters are going to make them their members by bleaching their hairs with weird colors.

But she is smarter than most of the kids are. She didn't believe Kazu and she pointed out that Hitsugaya is just a kid so he can't be a member of a gangster group. The color of his eyes are not weird; they look like the color of the water in beach and she always thought they are nice. She told Kazu that he wasn't making sense at all and he was just bluffing and making stories about Hitsugaya because he is jealous of him since everyone knows that Hitsugaya is much much better than Kazu in writing poems, and in Math, and in Arts and in most things in school. Besides, gangsters don't use swinging rings and not all of them are really bad. And then, the thing is called 'hypnotism' not 'hitnopism'.

Kazu mocked her then, asking how she can know that not all gangsters are really bad, adding that maybe her brother is also a gangster since the color of Ichigo's hair is also weird. That and, of course, he knows it's called 'hyptomism.' Finally, Kazu laughed at her saying that she was just defending Hitsugaya because she probably has a crush on him.

Kazu's words and the laugh of other children got into her, so she did the thing she thought would shut the brat up. She punched him.

And Kazu effectively fell to the ground.

The next thing that happened was silence.

And then, whispers.

And then, a loud cry from Kazu before he stood up and ran to his mother.

Lastly, the simultaneous exclaims of the other kids. _Kurosaki-chan did it, Ma'am! Kurosaki-chan did it!_

She was never allowed near Kazu since then.

* * *

 _He doesn't understand..._

* * *

He can't seem to understand why the girls don't like her as much as they like her twin sister. He doesn't have any answer as to why the boys still think she's not as good as them even if she's already proven that she can beat them anytime.

He thinks that she's prettier than the other girls and much better than most boys when it comes to sports.

But it seems that the other kids don't have the same thought as he does.

He heard Eri say that she doesn't like Karin that much because she acts like a boy, and she plays in the mud, and she is loud like her brother, and she doesn't wear skirt. Maybe, she is secretly a boy because she is not so pretty.

He wanted to say something then, tell Eri that Karin is a girl and a little lot prettier than her even if Karin doesn't wear skirt. And if Karin is loud, Eri is a blabber who thinks she's better than anyone else, even if she obviously is not.

He didn't say it though. He just looked at Eri and frowned, but he didn't speak a word even if he wanted to.

And then, there was that Kazu kid who was so boastful in saying that Karin is not better than him. That he can beat her in running, in climbing trees and in playing soccer. Karin can't beat him because, well, she is a girl. So he will challenge her, and beat her and give her his 'pacific' mind.

Toushirou wasn't able to hold it any longer. He stood up and calmly spoke, telling Kazu that he was just being arrogant and he can't beat Karin. Karin made him cry last week after all. And it's 'piece of mind' not 'pacific mind.'

He had a satisfaction of seeing Kazu's stupefied expression before he walked out of the canteen. But he didn't notice that Momo was already walking beside him, giggling and commenting how she thinks Shiro-chan likes Karin-chan, and how she thinks it's so cute. And Yuzu-chan will probably agree with her.

But he just told Momo to leave him alone and stop calling him Shiro-chan.

* * *

 _Maybe they are the ones..._

* * *

"What are you doing, Kurosaki?"

She appears like she didn't hear him, but he knows she did. And he knows the reason why she pretends she didn't.

"Karin?"

She looks up, pouting. "I'm making a flower crown."

He blinks. "That's not a thing you will likely do." He sits down on the flower bed, in front of her, watching as her small hands fumble on the little white flowers and a soft stem she uses as its lace. "Why?"

She doesn't answer him as she holds her finished work in front of his face. "Is it good?"

"It is..." He stares at the thing and tries to keep a straight face. "Good?"

His expression doesn't go unnoticed by her however. Disappointed, she throws the 'flower crown' away, and huffs. "You just looked like you were about to pee while you answered."

"Why do you even wanna make a flower crown?"

Again, she doesn't answer. She just looks down, seemingly interested in the remaining little flowers on her lap.

"For Yuzu?"

She shakes her head, but still says nothing.

"So you want it for yourself?"

This time, she nods and slowly looks up at the boy, waiting for him to laugh at her.

But he doesn't.

He never did.

Not when she doesn't want him to.

"You know there's a much more convenient thing than a flower crown." He looks around the flower bed as though searching for something. When he finds it, he stands up and walks a few steps to his left. He arrives back not long after, and she immediately notices the two yellow flowers, bigger than a rose, in his hand.

She watches as he interlaces the stems of the flowers to unite them as one, and he turns to her.

"Here," he says, kneeling in front of her to tuck the soft stems behind her right ear, the flowers decorating her hair.

Tentatively, she raises her right hand and touches the petal of the flowers. Realizing that he is watching her, she beams at him. "Thank you, Shirou!" Only she can call him that name and get away easily. Not even his cousins can.

"So why are you here? You are supposed to be with your friends, right?"

"Right," she answers, still smiling.

She is expecting him to smile back but he doesn't. "Then why are you here? Why are you not with your friends?"

She blinks, and then sticks her lower lip, looking upset by his questions. "But you are my friend, Shirou." She looks away and crosses her small arms in front of her chest like the stubborn little girl that she always is. "And most kids won't already have me since I punched Kazu."

For a very brief moment, he actually smiles. "I've heard. But why did you do that anyway?"

"Because he said I probably have a crush on you, and then he laughed at me! And the other kids also laughed! I didn't like it so I punched him! And he ran to his mama!" She is already on her feet when she finishes, looking down at him, eyes filled with passion as much as a fiery child can offer. Pure, young, yet a fire with enough heat and light.

And it's amazing how he can always balance her fire with his own ice. "But, Karin, even if it wasn't true, you still shouldn't have punched him."

It's just like this everytime. She's just being a kid, acting based on what _she thinks_ is right, doing what she believes must be done, while he always tries to be mature, doing what _he_ _knows_ isright, speaking only what's necessary.

"Gyaa! You don't understand it, Shirou!" She lets herself fall to the soft mattress of flowers, and starts to trash. It's a real wonder how the pair of flowers on her ear remains in place even as she flails against the colorful bed of blossoms.

"Stop it, Karin! You're destroying the young flowers!" He stands up and runs to her. Just as she stops throwing tantrums, he holds out his hand to her and helps her to sit up. "Now, even you look like a mess," he whispers as he reaches to brush the flowers, leaves and stems off of her hair, and then he rearranges the yellow flowers on her ear.

"I didn't punch him because it wasn't true, Shirou!" She kneels, placing her hands in front of her, to face him closer. "I punched him because he said it like it was a bad thing! So what if I have a crush on you?"

He blinks. "You have a crush on me? But do you know what that thing means?"

She pauses, frowns thoughtfully, sits down again, and then looks up at the sky as if to ponder about the question. Finally, she looks back at him, grinning. "Yuzu said it's when you admire a person and you like something about them. I admire you because you are so good in Math, you always get perfect scores on our exams. And I like your drawing of dragons, it was so awesome! I see you play soccer with Ichi-nii once, and you were so good, I thought you have to teach me how you did that move!"

"Your sister told you that?" Somehow, that seems to be the only thing he's able to pick up on her entire rave.

"Yes." She tilts her head to the side, and looks at him curiously. "Was she wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Not really."

At the news, she smiles. "And she also told me that when we grow up, we also have to look for someone we want to marry. But I don't get what that is." She scratches her head, and then stops as she stares at him with a hopeful look on her face. "Neh, Shirou! Can I marry you when I grow up?"

"You just said you don't know what that is!" He frowns and crosses his arms, imitating her action earlier, but with much more grace than she managed. When it comes to the issue of stubbornness, there certainly is a tough competition between the two of them.

"Yes, I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound like it's a bad thing! Yuzu said I can't marry a family so it's just you because I don't like the other people much, and I'm lazy to look for someone else!"

He stands moodily. "But you can't just insist what you want! More if it's something you don't know at all!" He turns away. "I'm going to bring you home."

She remains on where she is, and starts kicking wildly in yet another display of fit. "No! I'm not going home! I'm not coming until Shirou agrees to marry me when I grow up!"

"Karin, let's go."

"Don't want."

"Karin."

"No."

In the end, he gives up, knowing it's already a loss on his side. "Fine."

Instantly, she looks up at him. "Fine what?"

"I'm gonna marry you when we grow up." He huffs and looks away. "But first, let's go bring you home."

But maybe... Maybe the answer is worth it as she smiles widely, the brightest he's ever seen from her so far. She stands, brushes the flowers and dried leaves off of her shorts, and runs to him. "I really, really like you, Shirou!"

"Okay," he mumbles, "Just so you know... hm, never mind."

He walks out of the flower area. But not without her on his side, not without her small hand in his.

Okay. It's perfectly okay.

At least, for now.

And perhaps... hopefully... it still is okay next time.

* * *

 _... who can mostly understand each other._

* * *

 **A/N:** _In case anyone's wondering if I still am going to continue this, I'm gonna give the answer now, so you don't need to overthink about it. :P_

 _Guys, this story (obviously, something close to drabble) is COMPLETE and I don't have any plan to write any possible continuation. ^_^ You can have these two kids' future story of your own, of course. Make them drift apart, make them stay together till the end, it's all yours to imagine (write if you will). My job here is done; I just really want to keep it this way._

 _So there._

 _Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know. :)_


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